20 K-Drama's Highest Viewership Rating of All Time: Free TV and Cable TV

Korean drama, also known as Koreanovela or K-drama, refers to Korean-language television shows that originated from South Korea. 

Korean dramas existed in the 1960s but became known only internationally in the late 1990s due to the Korean Wave. They have since achieved significant global popularity.

In South Korea, K-Dramas' popularity is determined through the viewership ratings provided by Nielsen Korea and TNmS.

However, in 2018 TNmS stopped providing data on viewership ratings through their website, and instead occasionally releases the ratings through news agencies, making Nielsen Korea the sole provider of viewership ratings for K-drama domestically.

AC Nielsen in Korea was launched in August 1999, after it was acquired by MSK (Media Service Korea, the company that provided TV viewership ratings in South Korea at that time).

In 2005, AC Nielsen Korea signed a merger with AGB Group, establishing AGB Nielsen Media Research. It merged with KADD Nielsen Media Research in January 2013, and the official name was Nielsen Korea.

Here are the Top 10 Korean Drama broadcast on public TV channels (free TVs) with the Highest Nationwide Viewership Rating of all time:

You and I poster

1. You and I (1997)

• Highest peak: 66.9%. 
• Genre: Slice-of-life/Melodrama. 
• Broadcast Network: MBC. 
• Episode: 58 episodes. 
• Main Leads: Choi Jin-sil, Park Sang-won, Cha In-Pyo, Song Seung-Heon, Choi Bool-am, Kim Hye-ja, Seo Yoo Jung, Kim Ji-young, and Lee Bon.

2. First Love (1996)

• Highest peak: 65.8%
• Genre: Modern Romance
• Broadcast Network: KBS2
• Episode: 66
• Main Leads: Lee Seung-yeon, Choi Soo-jong, and Bae Yong-joon.

3. What is Love (1991)

• Highest Peak: 64.9%
• Genre: Family Life. 
• Broadcast Network: MBC
• Episode: 55
• Main Leads: Ha Hee-ra and Choi Min-soo

4. Sandglass (1995)

• Highest peak: 64.5%
• Genre: Modern Romance
• Broadcast Network: SBS
• Episode: 24
• Main Leads: Go Hyun-jung, Park Sang-won, Choi Min-soo, and Lee Jung-jae

5. HurJun (1999)

• Highest Peak: 63.5%
• Genre: Costume/Palace
• Broadcast Network: MBC
• Episode: 64
• Main Leads: Jun Kwang-Ryul and Hwang Soo-Jung

6.  A Sunny Place of the Young (1995)

• Highest Peak: 62.7%
• Genre: Romance
• Broadcast Network: KBS2
• Episode: 56
• Main Leads: Lee Jong Won, Ha Hee Ra, Jeon Do Yeon, Bae Yong Joon

7. Sons and Daughters (1992)

• Highest Peak: 61.1% 
• Genre: Family Life
• Broadcast Network: MBC
• Episode: 64
• Main Leads: Choi Soo Jong and Kim Hee Ae, 

8. Taejo Wang Geon (2000)

• Highest Peak: 60.2%
• Genre: Costume/Palace Drama/Historical
• Broadcast Network: KBS1
• Episode: 200
• Main Leads: Choi Soo Jong, Kim Yeong-cheol, Kim Hye-ri, and Seo In-seok

9. Eyes of Dawn (1991)

• Highest Peak: 58.4%
• Genre: Period/Social issues
• Broadcast Network: MBC
• Episode: 37
• Main Leads: Chae Shi-ra, Park Sang-won and Choi Jae-sung

10. Jewel in the Palace (2003)

• Highest Peak: 57.8%
• Genre: Costume/Palace drama
• Broadcast Network: MBC
• Episode: 54
• Main Leads: Lee Young-ae, Ji Jin Hee, Hong Ri Na, Im Ho

We separated the viewership ratings for Korean series aired on Cable TV channels because cable channels, which are paid membership channels, usually have a small viewership compared to free TV channels.

Here are the K-dramas with the Highest Nationwide Viewership Rating in Korean Cable History as of April 28, 2024, according to the data released by Nielsen Korea.

Queen of Tears failed to knock off Reborn Rich from the second spot, but Queen of Tears is the only cable drama to barge in the 23% mark of the viewership rating index after Reborn Rich in 2022.

The World of the Married

1. The World of the Married (2020) 

• Highest Peak: 28.371%
• Genre: Family Life
• Broadcast Network: JTBC
• Episode: 16 + 2 special 
• Main Leads:  Kim Hee-ae, Park Hae-joon, and Han So-hee

2. Reborn Rich (2022)

• Highest Peak: 26.948%
• Genre: Business/Family/Fantasy
• Broadcast Network: JTBC
• Episode: 16
• Main Leads: Song Joong-ki, Lee Sung-min, Shin Hyun-been

3. Queen of Tears (2024)

• Highest Peak: 24.850%
• Genre: Romance/Business
• Broadcast Network: tvN
• Episode: 16
• Main Leads: Kim Ji-Won and Kim Soo-Hyun

4. Sky Castle (2018)

• Highest Peak: 23.779%
• Genre: Family
• Broadcast Network: JTBC
• Episode: 20
• Main Leads: Yum Jung-ah, Lee Tae-ran, Yoon Se-ah, Oh Na-ra, and Kim Seo-hyung

5. Crash Landing on You (2019)

• Highest Peak: 21.683%
• Genre: Romance
• Broadcast Network: tvN
• Episode: 16
• Main Leads: Son Ye-Jin and Hyun-Bin

6. Reply 1988 (2015)

• Highest Peak: 18.803%
• Genre: Slice-of-Life/Family
• Broadcast Network: tvN
• Episode: 20
• Main Leads: Lee Hye-ri, Ryu Jun-yeol, Go Kyung-pyo, Park Bo-gum, and Lee Dong-hwi.

7. Goblin (2016)

• Highest Peak: 18.680%
• Genre: Fantasy/Romance
• Broadcast Network: tvN
• Episode: 16 + 3 special
• Main Leads: Gong Yoo and Kim Go-eun

8. Doctor Cha (2023)

• Highest Peak: 18.546%
• Genre: Medical 
• Broadcast Network: JTBC
• Episode: 16
• Main Leads: Uhm Jung-hwa, Kim Byung-chul, Myung Se-bin, and Min Woo-hyuk

9. Mr. Sunshine (2018)

• Highest Peak: 18.129%
• Genre: Period/Historical
• Broadcast Network: tvN
• Episode: 24
• Main Leads: Lee Byung-hun and Kim Tae-ri

10. Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)

• Highest Peak: 17.534%
• Genre: Life
• Broadcast Network: ENA
• Episode: 16
• Main Leads: Park Eun-bin, Kang Tae-oh, Kang Ki-young